Irish look to win their first Big East Indoor conference meet
By: DAVID COOK
Sports Writer
The men's track and field team has always been right at the front.
Since the Irish joined the Big East conference in 1996, they have finished in the top three in 11 of the 12 indoor and outdoor track meets. In 2000, they won the conference meet during the outdoor season.
But the Irish are still looking for a victory at the indoor conference meet where they have taken second place four times, and third place once. This year won't be any easier.
"When we won by 50 points in outdoor [in 2000], I still wasn't confident. You have to look at the competition and realize that UConn is tremendous, so is Georgetown and Villanova. Rutgers is the team that is the most up and coming in the conference. It's one of the better conferences in the country," said head coach Joe Piane.
Against the high level of competition that they will see at the conference meet, the Irish will feature a team that is one of the best they have had yet.
Leading the team is Ryan Shay and Luke Watson: two seniors who have had spectacular indoor seasons so far. Shay is currently third in the country in the 5000-meter run with a time of 13:46.80. Shay is also nationally qualified in the 3000. Watson holds the second best time in the country in the 3,000-meter with a time of 7:54.02.
The Notre Dame distance squad features the deepest contingent of athletes traveling to New York this weekend. Of the 32 athletes that have qualified for the conference meet, 15 of them are in the distance events.
Behind Shay and Watson, sophomore Kevin Somok looks to get a victory at the conference meet this weekend.
"Last year as a freshman I wasn't really sure what to expect, and I was kind of wide-eyed. And this year I know what its all about and I hope to make some more noise. Certainly qualify for the final and score some points," said Somok.
Somok is also part of the distance medley team that is currently ranked third in the country, but will not race this weekend. Joining Somok on the medley team are freshman Eric Morrison, Watson and sophomore James Bracken.
Seniors Sean Zanderson, Tom Lennon, and Pat Conway add depth to the long distance corps. Zanderson, who has run a personal best 4:09 mile this year, will be running in the mile, and Lennon and Conway will most likely be running in the mile.
Also strengthening the distance team are Morrison and sophomore Todd Mobley. Morrison ran a stellar 1:51 800-meter run against Michigan State earlier in the year, and Mobley ran a fourth-place 4:07 mile in the Meyo Mile at the Meyo Invitational.
The sprinters are led by a contingent of underclassmen this year. Freshmen Dwight Ellick, Trevor McClain-Duer and Bracken look to score points for the sprinters. Ellick will be running in the 60- and 200-meter dashes, McClain-Duer will run in the 500, and Bracken will compete in the 400.
McClain-Duer won the 500-meter run at the Windsor Team Challenge last week and looks to improve on that this weekend.
"I was really happy to get my first [collegiate] win. I've been getting better and better as the weeks go on. I'm hoping that I get all Big-East, that's my goal," said McClain-Duer.
McClain-Duer also feels confident his team can win.
"We have a really good chance of winning the team competition. And we have a pretty balanced distance and sprints corps. So if everyone wins like they can, we can win it," said McClain-Duer.
In the field events, seniors Josh Heck and Quill Redwine lead the team. Heck is currently ranked 10th in the Big East in the pole vault. He took second in the pole vault last year.
Redwine has been discouraged with injuries the past two years, but he still looks to get points for the team. Last year he was having trouble with his right knee, and this year he has been having problems with his left ankle.
The Irish will need strong performances in all events if they want to beat defending champion Georgetown. The Hoyas have kept the Irish from winning the conference meet three times, winning the conference meet the last four years.
The Big East conference meet begins Friday night and concludes Saturday night.
All Sports Stories for Friday, February 15, 2002
